The St. Louis Cardinals battled through nearly two hours of severe weather before rallying for a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Busch Stadium, with Jordan Walker driving in the tying run and Jimmy Crooks delivering the decisive home run in a game that stretched deep into the evening.
The contest unfolded in two distinct chapters. Before heavy rain halted play, fans were treated to a tightly contested pitchers’ duel between Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy and veteran Braves ace Chris Sale. Once play resumed after the lengthy delay, both starting pitchers were finished for the night, turning the game into a battle of bullpens before St. Louis produced the late offense needed to secure the series-opening win.
Leahy, making the most of his opportunity, was outstanding in his abbreviated outing. Over three scoreless innings, the right-hander allowed just one hit—an infield single by Jim Jarvis with two outs in the third inning—while matching Sale pitch for pitch. Although Sale displayed his trademark swing-and-miss stuff, Leahy ultimately produced the better results before the weather forced both starters from the game.
The Cardinals mounted their first scoring threat in the bottom of the third when Blaze Jordan lined a ground-rule double and newly extended rookie JJ Wetherholt worked a walk. However, Sale escaped the inning without allowing a run, keeping the game scoreless before the approaching storm suspended play.
A torrential downpour followed, delaying the game for approximately two hours as water reportedly poured into both dugouts. When action finally resumed, George Soriano took over for St. Louis and completed the suspended at-bat before tossing a scoreless fourth inning.
Atlanta finally broke through in the fifth. Mike Yastrzemski sparked the rally with a one-out double into the right-field corner before Austin Riley followed with an RBI single to center, giving the Braves a 1-0 advantage.
The Cardinals turned to Justin Bruihl, who retired the final two batters of the fifth before adding a scoreless sixth inning to keep the deficit at one run and give the offense an opportunity to respond.
That response came in the bottom of the sixth.
Just hours after reportedly agreeing to an eight-year contract extension, Wetherholt reached base with a one-out walk. Newly named All-Star designated hitter Iván Herrera followed with a single, putting runners on first and second for Jordan Walker, who continued his impressive season by lining an RBI single into right field to score Wetherholt and even the score at 1-1. Although the Cardinals failed to capitalize further after Alec Burleson grounded out, the clutch hit shifted momentum back toward St. Louis.
Veteran reliever Ryne Stanek kept the Braves off the scoreboard in the seventh despite issuing a two-out walk to Riley, preserving the tie heading into the late innings.
In the eighth, JoJo Romero took over on the mound while Nathan Church entered as a defensive replacement in center field. The inning’s defining moment came when Jordan Walker showcased his athleticism in right field by making a spectacular leaping catch at the top of the wall to rob Michael Harris II of what appeared destined to be a go-ahead home run. Television broadcasters noted the ball likely would have cleared the fence in the vast majority of Major League ballparks, but Walker’s height and perfectly timed leap preserved the tie.
The Cardinals then seized control in the bottom half of the inning.
Facing Braves reliever Danny Young, rookie catcher Jimmy Crooks crushed an 83-mph sweeper deep to center field, launching a 405-foot solo home run into the landscaping beyond the wall to give St. Louis its first lead of the night at 2-1.
The ninth inning belonged to Cardinals All-Star closer Riley O’Brien, who protected the slim advantage. O’Brien struck out Matt Olson to begin the inning before briefly creating anxious moments when Drake Baldwin sent a towering fly ball to deep center that ultimately stayed in the park for the second out. He then finished the game in dominant fashion by striking out Mauricio Dubón, securing the Cardinals’ hard-earned victory after one of the longest weather delays of the season.
The win highlighted contributions throughout the roster, from Leahy’s impressive start and Walker’s impact on both offense and defense to Crooks’ game-winning blast and O’Brien’s composed finish.
The Cardinals and Braves will continue their weekend series Saturday evening at Busch Stadium. Matthew Liberatore is scheduled to start for St. Louis against Atlanta right-hander Reynaldo López, with first pitch set for 6:15 p.m. CT as the Cardinals look to build on Friday night’s dramatic rain-delayed victory.
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